


i should be over all the butterflies

by beware_of_you



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/F, First kiss!!!!, They’re adorable, baby jemily? baby jemily, baby jjxemily for the win!!!, but an actual first date, butterflies r kinda rad, first date fluff, i know so much about butterflies now bc of this, its fluff, its so cute!!!, like TOOTH ROTTING fluff, lil baby girlfriends, set in like season 3, soft girlfriends!!!!, they’re so cute!!!!, they’re so fuckin cute, they’re!!! so!!! soft!!! lads!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:02:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26188414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beware_of_you/pseuds/beware_of_you
Summary: baby jjxemily first date fluff!!!!!!
Relationships: Jennifer "JJ" Jareau/Emily Prentiss
Comments: 6
Kudos: 118





	i should be over all the butterflies

**Author's Note:**

> i am now more familiar with the national mall’s layout and ten different god damn swallowtail subspecies than i am about my major
> 
> also the ending sucks bc i can’t write fluff good sry x

The sun is warm against her skin, contrasts so much to the cool morning breeze that nips at her arms and her cheeks. She welcomes it, air carrying various aromas like fresh coffee and pastries from the local shops. Her feet pad solidly against the concrete beneath her shoes, creating a steady rhythm that she counts in her head. 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4.

"Easy now," Emily breathes in her ear, voice warm against JJ's cheek, the arm around her waist tugging slightly in warning. "There's a divot in the sidewalk just to your left." The other woman's fingers curl around her own protectively, carefully guiding JJ exactly where she needs to place her feet.

The blonde blinks, her eyelashes tickling against the thin fabric of the blindfold as the duo begin walking down the sidewalk once more. (Well, Emily walks and guides her because she has no idea where the hell they're going.)

"You know, you should consider yourself very lucky, Agent Prentiss," JJ starts with a small smirk, pressing herself closer to the older woman for the extra body heat. "I don't usually let my dates blindfold me until after at least date number 8."

The younger woman can practically hear the smile in Emily's voice, melts at the sound of her light laughter. There's a light pressure just at her hairline above her temple. "I'll keep that in mind after number eight," Emily murmurs just as playfully. "So, the fact that I was able to get you into one before date number one says...?"

JJ breathes out a soft, content sigh, briefly pressing her forehead against the older woman's shoulder. "That I trust you," is her simple reply. She swings their hands loosely between them. "Besides, this is technically our fifth date."

"First official date," Emily corrects herself before breathing out a low chuckle. "Not that I don't mind the late night fast food dinner dates in hotel rooms during cases," she admits, giving the blonde's fingers a squeeze. "I'm just glad that I can take you somewhere and spend time with you outside of a case."

JJ smiles at the mention of those nights; simple and easy, often giving both of them a breather from the horrors that they've witnessed during the day. She's insanely grateful for them— she seriously doesn't know how she was able to handle cases before without them. Simply spending time with Emily as they sit across from each other in freezing cold hotel rooms grounds her, makes some of the cases more manageable to deal with.

She admits to herself she is glad, though, that they're finally able to spend time with each other without the graphic, gory details of a case looming over their heads.

"I am, too," she breathes out with a slow nod. "Where are we going anyway?"

Emily nudges her side with their interlocked hands playfully. "If I told you, you wouldn't need a blindfold," she teases lightly. "Turn to your right"

JJ does as instructed, amused breath escaping through her nose. "I suppose so," she agrees. "But do I at least get a hint?" A pause, frowning suddenly at an abrupt thought. "Am I dressed for it?"

"You look beautiful," Emily assures her immediately. She briefly glances at the side of her eye at the blonde's simple light blue sundress and subtle leather boots, good for walking. The bottom of her dress and her light, golden hair ruffles slightly in the breeze, nearly rendering the older agent speechless. Words could not describe Jennifer Jareau. She was more than beautiful.

Ethereal.

The brunette swallows thickly, voice raw when she repeats herself in a softer tone. "You're beautiful." She clears her throat, tearing her gaze away to look up towards their destination. "Turn right again, but be careful. We have a lot of stairs to climb."

JJ's cheeks burn under the sincerity of the other woman's words, stomach coiling with warmth. She pauses, reaching around and carefully grabbing Emily's other arm to hold her steady. She tentatively reaches her hand up, traces her fingers along the sharp line of the older woman's jaw. Her thumb runs along Emily's lips, slowly, hesitantly.

Her lips are soft, full and plump, breath warm as she puffs out a breath against her thumb. JJ chews the inside of her cheek, heart thudding rapidly against her chest. She forces herself to swallow, mouth feeling dry. Her hand finally comes to rest at the other side of Emily's face, cupping her cheek. "You're beautiful."

She wishes she was allowed to take this stupid blindfold off, if only to see Emily's reaction. She wants to see her eyes as she leans in closer, and even then, closer still until they finally close that gap between their lips and—

No, JJ decides, slowly dropping her hand to Emily's shoulder. Not blindfolded. She gives the other woman's hand a squeeze. "Stairs?"

"Yeah," Emily breathes out with a nod. "Yeah, stairs," she confirms in a louder voice. "Steep stairs." She carefully wraps her arm around the younger woman's waist, dropping her hand in the process. "I got you, I wouldn't let you fall."

"I know you wouldn't," JJ murmurs, giving her arm a gentle squeeze.

Her side is just as carefully squeezed in response. "Go ahead and step."

The walk up the stairs seemingly takes forever, but neither woman really minds. Emily's arm feels secure around the blonde's waist, forearm thin and bicep solid with muscle built up from training in the gym for the field. JJ feels safe like this, guarded and protected in the other woman's arms. Emily is extremely patient with her, guiding her in a soft voice right in her ear, telling her exactly where to step. Emily never lets her fall, or slip, or ever once make her feel uneasy.

Though, she's relieved once she finds herself back on solid ground.

Emily guides them through a door, the blast of AC hitting JJ right in the face. She squints into the blindfold, body rigid at the sudden blast of frigid air. They move on quickly, though, Emily maneuvering her around through the entrance. She strains to hear what the older woman is saying when they stop, but all JJ can make out is Emily's soft, familiar whisper and a deeper, masculine voice talking just as quietly.

She waits patiently and silently by the older woman's side the whole time.

Emily flashes the man a grateful smile, sliding a $20 under the glass dividing them. She raises her palm, sliding the tickets from the granite into her pocket. "Thank you," she replies politely, shooting the man another kind smile before dragging JJ further into the building.

"We have just one more flight of stairs to go up," Emily murmurs in her ear as a reassurance.

JJ squeezes her fingers silently in response.

Their feet softly collide against the linoleum floor, then marble as they ascend the staircase. The younger woman shuffles towards the brunette, seeking out her touch for comfort. She feels vulnerable like this, admits that she is slightly uneasy in the confined she can feel around her.

Emily's fingers gently massage her side slowly, silently asking if she's okay with this, that she doesn't have to do anything she's uncomfortable with. Her touch is soft, soothing and warm, quells the blonde's slight anxiety almost on the spot. Puffing out a small breath from her lips, JJ once again squeezes the other woman's hand with a firm nod.

She trusts Emily.

They walk through another door, the blonde pausing in confusion. Wherever Emily took her is humid and warm, contrasting so much to the frigid air in the building. She lifts her head towards her left, immediately hit with the aroma of various wildflowers.

Lilacs.

She inhales through her nose again, only confirming her suspicions. And what was that sound, so light and familiar, yet she really can't seem to place it? "Where—"

"You'll see," Emily interrupts gently, carefully caressing JJ's cheek with her fingers. The older woman clears her throat, gently reaching over and behind the blonde's head. "Close your eyes. You'll need time to adjust to the light."

JJ does as instructed, squeezing her eyes shut tighter once the cloth barrier is fully removed from her face (the sun is blindingly bright). The brunette gently cups a hand over her forehead to act like a visor to shield the other woman's eyes. The blonde flushes at the action, sharing a brief, small and shy smile when their eyes meet.

Emily's eyes are really pretty in the light, JJ muses to herself silently. Deep brown irises with flecks of glittering gold that catch just right in the light, swimming with so much affection and adoration as they meet her own. It makes her feel special— Emily makes her feel special.

With their proximity, the way they're staring at each other, JJ feels as if they're the only two people in this space. No one else outside of the two of them matter at the moment.

Emily's hand slowly moves from the younger woman's forehead, eyebrows knitting together briefly in concentration as she tucks a long lock of blonde hair behind her ear with a few fingers. Her palm settles at the side of JJ's face, thumb caressing her cheek tenderly, pinkie just barely brushing the edge of her lips.

JJ swallows audibly, tucking her bottom lip between her teeth at the action. She leans into the embrace, reaches her own hand up to lay over the other woman's, turning her head just barely towards Emily's palm before looking back. Her pale skin is practically glowing, the sun shining past the slightly curled dark brown locks, forming a yellow-green halo of light around her head.

Green?

The observation startles her so suddenly, she pulls back in Emily's hold to finally observe their surroundings.

They're under a glass dome that's shaped like a half moon, the bright blue DC morning sky very much visible through the panes. The area is absolutely lush with trees, foliage and wildflowers galore (just behind Emily is the very same lilac bush JJ had smelled earlier), creating an oasis paradise that contrasts so much to the busy city just outside the glass walls. Now that she's listening closer, she can hear the tiniest trickling stream of water, can see the tiny, shallow channel flowing around the enclosure.

JJ's completely rendered speechless as she continues to scan around. She brings a hand up over her mouth in shock when her eyes land on the first one.

Easily the size of her hand with bright, iridescent blue wings outlined with a thick, black outline, a magnificent blue morpho butterfly rests just on top of the guard rails that surrounds the walkway around the exhibit. The butterfly slowly flaps its massive wings before it startles and flys back deep into the brush. A pair of spicebrush swallowtails dance just past their faces, JJ's eyes following their every movement until they land just above the door they came through. Glancing inside at the sign just outside the door welcomes guests to come in and enjoy the Natural History's Museum's Butterfly Pavilion.

Eyes burning with unshed tears, the blonde swallows thickly before turning back towards Emily.

The older woman looks more nervous than JJ's ever seen her before, picking at her nails and face flushed as she gauges the blonde's reaction. She ducks her head shyly, voice hesitant as she begins to speak. "I— wanted to bring you somewhere special. You collect butterflies and I figured..." She trails off anxiously, offering a slight smile as a conclusion.

"I love it," JJ murmurs unsteadily, wiping her face with the back of her hands with an incredulous laugh. "I just— I didn't expect this." She takes another quick look around, sniffling with an appreciative nod. "I love it," she repeats in a softer tone.

Emily's relief is instantaneous, her shoulders slumping and a wide, easy grin spreading on her face. "So, no bad tears?"

JJ laughs lightly, shaking her head and wiping off her remaining tears. "God, no. Never. This place is incredible."

Another grin. "Good." The older woman offers out her hand in question. "Shall we look around?"

JJ's head bobs enthusiastically in agreement, looping their fingers together tightly. "Please."

The two start their tour slowly at the on pace, both very mindful to watch out where they step between observing the many, many species of butterflies that swarm around them. The most common, abundant species appear to be swallowtails, JJ observes silently, eyes trained on a emperor swallowtail and a zebra swallowtail swirling around each other as they fly up the height of the dome. They were the most common species she would see back home in East Allegheny as a child as well. She would spot them fluttering through the fields of long grass, around the soccer fields. They would sometimes land in her hair for a few seconds before flying off to the neighbor's chrysanthemum bushes.

They stop just shy of the middle of the trail, JJ's eyes glued on an old world swallowtail (she has one in the shadowboxes in her office, but seeing one laying flat out against a bright pink hibiscus makes the slightly yellowed white, the patches of royal blue and deep red dots at the base of the bottom wings stand out so much more).

"What's that one?" Emily murmurs curiously by her ear, frowning at a particular species just off to the right on a large vine of ivory.

The blonde tears her eyes from the swallowtail, following the older woman's direction when she points out the particular insect that caught her attention. Blue eyes lighting up immediately in recognition at the bright, brick red butterfly, quite small compared to swallowtails. Its wings are slightly jagged around the curves, coming to points in the top corners and in the center of the bottom wings. This particular butterfly has iridescent purple spots on the top wings, iridescent blue spots outlined in washed out yellow taking up nearly the whole bottom wings.

"European peacock," JJ murmurs automatically, brief frown appearing on her face as she recalls the same specimen in her office. "Aglais io....?" She shakes her head, as if the scientific name sounds wrong but continues on without much pause. "Those dots on their wings are called eye spots. Whenever they feel threatened, they'll lay their wings out flat," she explains quietly.

"So predators won't attack," Emily nods slowly in understanding, looking as if she's hanging onto every single last word the younger woman is saying.

The blonde nods in confirmation. "The iridescent dots also warn predators to stay away."

"It's beautiful," Emily murmurs, turning back towards the insect. "I've never seen anything like it before." They continue to walk slowly along the path. "Are they your favorites?"

"They're up there," JJ admits. "I like the spots and the shapes of their wings."

"What species is your favorite?"

"Monarchs." She glances around the brush, finally spotting one up above in a thin tree. "I like their simplicity, how striking they appear and how recognizable they are. They're interesting."

"How so?" Emily asks, genuinely seeming fascinated to know the answer.

It makes JJ feel giddy and warm inside.

A smile spreads on her face. "They mate around the northern hemisphere in the spring, migrate hundreds of miles each and every year down to Mexico before winter, stay there until it becomes late spring in the states, and travel back to the very same spot to breed. Not just the same area, but the same exact spot, no matter the generation."

"No way," Emily says in amazement, gently nudging the blonde's side. "You're joking."

JJ's responding grin is wide. "Really, they do! I didn't believe it myself."

"Until..." the brunette prompts.

"My grandma told me," she replies quietly. "She said there was a generation of monarchs with three dots on their bottom wings that has been coming to the area since she was a little girl."

"You didn't believe her?" Emily smiles.

JJ scoffs lightly, playfully. "Not even a little bit," she recalls. "Even if the only ones I ever saw around her house were the monarchs with three dots on their wings. For the longest time I just thought that was how they looked." She gently swings their hands between their bodies.

"It wasn't until I left for college that I believed her. My roommate lived in a small town in West Virginia just an hour or so away from Pittsburgh. We went there to her family's cabin for spring break every year. The first time we went, we spotted a group of monarchs that stayed in the area."

"Seven dots on their wings," JJ concludes her story with a disbelieving shake of her head, smiling fondly at the memory. "She told me that they had been coming around the cabin for as long as she can remember, those same ones. Maybe it's just their instincts, but that's always amazed me how they just... know."

She blinks slowly, smiling apologetically over at the older woman. "Sorry, I rambled."

Emily instantly shakes her head, giving her fingers a squeeze. "You didn't. I thought it was really interesting." Her arm drops, loops around the younger woman's waist to bring them closer together. "Besides, I like learning more about butterflies if you're the one talking about them."

JJ leans her head on the brunette's shoulder as they slowly continue their route, her arm looped around Emily's upper arm. They're the only ones in this exhibit, are able to enjoy the scenery without the distraction of other people. Butterflies continue to zoom past them, over their head, just brushing by them. At some point, a small violet butterfly (JJ cannot for the life of her recall the species off the top of her head) lands on Emily’s red shirt, the two colors contrasting brilliantly against each other. The tiny insect flutters its wings excitedly, crawling a few inches before taking off once more while both women watch in awe.

(Near the exit, there's a Canadian tiger swallowtail right in the path that doesn't even startle as they draw nearer and nearer. JJ ends up kneeling down and carefully coaxing the butterfly to crawl on her index finger, placing it gently on a low hanging leaf on a small cherry blossom tree for its safety.)

They finally exit the butterfly pavilion, spit out into the museum's live insect zoo. They don't really spend a lot of time there. (Really, neither woman is particularly fond of the massive tarantulas, hissing cockroaches, and giant millipedes almost a foot long, even if they are trapped behind glass enclosures an inch and a half thick. But JJ has a fondness for the small orchid mantis [they're so small, so intricate and so vibrant in color] and Emily really can't tear her eyes away from an enclosure built into the wall filled with multiple beetles with shifting purple to green multi-chrome shells.)

They loop around the corner through an exhibit filled with mummies, passing through without observing much (there's only so many times that they've seen a body mummified out in the field before the ancient, sacred practice becomes associated in their minds with the cruel monsters they face in their line of work). They do spend more time in an area dedicated to geology and raw gemstones, finally exiting out the door onto 9th street.

They walk around the sculpture garden hand in hand in silence, simply enjoying each other's company. The sun rises just overhead, shining down as noon passes. The last food truck from the midday rush pulls away from the curb and off into the calmed DC streets. An elderly couple sit on a bench just to their left, a biker passing by politely with a wave of his hand, but other than them, there's no other people on the National Mall. It's nice. Calm and serene.

They both alternate in choosing different museums to visit. (Emily's favorite is the International Spy for no other reason other than it being completely fucking awesome. JJ adores the Museum of American Art only because of the huge pop art gallery contained inside the gigantic building. They both agree to stay far away from Madame Tussauds' wax museum because the creepy, life like figures just seem a bit too realistic and unsettling.) They only stop briefly at a local coffee shop and a local family run eatery for something to eat before they continue exploring around the many museums on the mall.

The streets are nearly dead when the sun starts to set and the sky starts to darken. They stop by the butterfly pavilion once more, just making it a minute before last call and take their time strolling through the indoor oasis once more. By the time they finally exit the building, the sky is cast in complete darkness.

JJ leads the way, carefully tugging Emily behind her as they make their way to the National Gallery of Art. The blonde weaves her way around the halls, only slowing her stride when they finally enter the space between the two buildings. It's a wide open room with a diamond cross patterned roof hanging high above their heads. Across the room lay emptied tables and chairs for visitors to enjoy their meals from the restaurants located in the east wing of the building. Trees, ferns and various other flora lay planted in huge granite rectangles, the sides open enough to accommodate groups of resting guests throughout the day.

JJ carefully tugs on Emily's hand, coaxing her over to the nearest slab of granite. To the older woman's surprise, the blonde lays down, looking straight up at the unique ceiling. "Come on," she murmurs, turning her head and giving Emily an encouraging smile.

Hesitating only briefly, the brunette finally lowers herself back onto the granite slab, the top of her head just briefly brushing JJ's shoulder as she lays herself flat. She shifts only slightly, putting a few inches of space between their heads so that they won't knock together when they eventually stand up.

“It kind of looks like stars,” JJ comments softly, staring up at the lights sporadically placed at various corners of the beams.

Emily looks up, humming gently in agreement. She can’t remember the last time she’s really taken the time to look at the stars; she’s always moved to busy cities, is always to focused on cases when the team does find themselves in more rural parts of the country to focus on mundane things like the night sky. The way the yellowed, florescent bulbs glow gives the illusion of bright, burning stars. The steel beams effortlessly bend and fold, making the ceiling have the appearance of soft, rippling waves full of these glittering lights. It’s nothing like real stars, but hey, they’re making due with what they have.

JJ looks genuinely content and really that matters.

“No one’s ever done anything like this for me before.”

Emily tears her gaze away from the ceiling and glances over at the other woman at the sound of her voice.

“I’ve been on dates before. Usually movies, or a restaurant, or the park,” JJ elaborates softly, eyes still locked on the sky. “I just...” She sucks her bottom lip between her teeth, cheeks tinged pink. “No one has ever put much thought into them like you did,” she admits in a small voice, raw and vulnerable.

“I didn’t want to take you on a typical date. I wanted to take you somewhere that you would be interested in going,” Emily insists immediately, turning to brush the hair away from the blonde’s eyes. “I wanted this date to be special.”

“It is special.” JJ turns her head, breath hitching slightly at how close their faces are. Her heart beats rapidly, wildly because the way Emily is looking at her— it’s as if she hangs the stars in the sky, as if she really is some heavenly being. Her expression is earnest, sincere as if to tell the blonde that she’s special, and god, it honestly makes her feel as if she’s the luckiest person in the entire world.

JJ reaches her hand out, fingertips stroking through long, dark locks until they settle just below the brunette’s chin. She trains her gaze on the other woman’s lips, tucking her own lower lip between her teeth briefly. Emily’s tongue darts out, wetting her own lips with an audible swallow. Her hand rests on the younger woman’s cheek, softly stroking circles with her thumb as they move closer.

JJ rolls on her side slightly to better her own angle, eyes falling shut as she leans down. Her nose bumps Emily’s chin but she can’t find it in herself to care because their lips are mere inches apart, close enough to feel her breath just ghosting her own lips—

“Attention visitors, the National Gallery of Art will be closing in five minutes. Please proceed towards the exit facing the National Mall.We are open from 9 AM to 10 PM seven days a week—“

“I guess that’s our cue to go, huh?” Emily mumbles.

“Yeah,” the blonde sighs, eyes shining with disappointment as she drops her hand from the older woman’s face. She lifts herself up, joints popping as she stretches her arms above her head. “Probably.”

The older woman groans playfully, sitting herself upright on the granite. Her hands pat her upper thighs a few times before she releases a small sigh. She jumps up, offering the blonde a hand with a soft smile. “Come on. Let’s get out of here before security starts to make their rounds.”

JJ returns the gesture easily, feeling a lot lighter when she grasps Emily’s hand in her own. She’s hoisted up from the granite effortlessly, letting out a small giggle at the action. She rests her head against the other woman’s shoulder as they walk out from the building and back out onto the National Mall.

They cling to each other for warmth, JJ resting her head against Emily’s shoulder with both arms wrapped firmly around her waist. The older woman’s fingers move soothingly against her side, run through her hair as they sit in a comfortable silence on the metro ride back to the blonde’s apartment. They’ve built up in their own blissful bubble, unreachable to anyone on the outside.

“Oh, fuck.”

JJ blinks in surprise as the explicit falls from Emily’s mouth, turning her head up the stairs of the escalator.

It’s absolutely pouring down rain, the drops heavily hitting the asphalt and splashing down the tunnel for the metro. She can feel the cooled droplets on her skin from halfway down the stairs and knows that they’re both going to end up soaked, no matter what they do now.

Emily taps worriedly at her phone, eyes flashing with concern. “I can call us a cab—“

JJ shakes her head. “My apartment’s only a few blocks away.”

“JJ—“

A small, mischievous smile forms on the blonde’s face as she smirks. “Come on, let’s just make a run for it.”

“We’re going to get drenched!” Emily points out incredulously.

JJ grins in response. “That’s the point!” She laughs when the brunette lets out a squeal as they finally reach the top platform, the ends of her hair already dripping with excess water. “Let’s go, slow poke!”

“Not everyone was a star athlete in college, Jennifer!” Emily replies defensively, a huge smile on her face as they run through the streets. Their hands remain locked tightly, their feet plodding through puddles of water that cover their bodies in even more water. The younger woman turns her head to check on the brunette, her eyes bright and smile wide. Even though her clothes are soaking wet, it’s hard for Emily to not return the gesture, smile so wide and genuine her cheeks her.

By the time the women make it to JJ’s building, their clothes are sagged with the weight of the water, their hair hanging in wet, limp locks that cling to damp skin, both breathless from the run and their laughter.

Emily runs a hand through her hair, grin still on her face. She gathers up what strands she can into a bunch, wringing out the extra water pointlessly. She leaves it hanging loosely over her shoulder, looking back at the blonde. “I’m sorry, I had no idea it was supposed to—“

JJ reaches out and gently grabs her arms, standing on her toes and pressing their lips together. After a few seconds, Emily kisses her back, her own hands coming up and cradling the blonde’s face between her palms. JJ’s lips are wet from the rain, yet soft and warm as they move against her own, addicting and sweet. It makes her head spin, spreads warmth throughout her limbs.

“Thank you,” JJ mumbles between small kisses, finally pulling away when her need for oxygen becomes too much to ignore. Her cheeks are tinged pink, expression awestruck and giddy.

“I think I should be thanking you,” Emily says with a grin, still reeling from the kiss.

The blonde shakes her head, her hand moving to the back of the brunette’s head and playing with the wet locks at the base of her skull. “Thank you for today. It was really special to me.”

Emily pulls her in for a quick, chaste kiss. “You’re special to me, Jennifer Jareau.”


End file.
